1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to basketball practice and training devices and methods, and more particularly to a portable training device mounted on a transparent basketball backboard that creates a visual distraction for training players to increase their concentration, focus, skill and accuracy in goal shooting.
2. Background Art
It is well known by coaches, trainers and players in the sport of basketball, that it is much easier to successfully complete various shots to the basket when there are no distractions, and the shooter gets an unobstructed view of the basket. Typically the serious basketball player will spend many hours in on-court or off-court practice, with or without opponents, but where there are no visual distractions of spectators.
However, in actual game situations, various visual distractions and noise from the spectators can significantly impair the shooter's concentration and focus and, hence, the accuracy of a shot, particularly under pressure situations. For example, in actual game situations, players must contend with fans waving distracting signs, foam noodles, streamers, or other props while they are making a shot. It is also well known that the ability of a player to maintain their concentration under pressure situations is one of the key factors to success, and that losing focus can cause a player to become an ineffective shooter during a game. The visual distraction problem is even greater in professional and collegiate basketball courts wherein the backboards are constructed of transparent or clear acrylic or tempered glass materials to allow spectators to view the game through the backboard, and which also allow the player making a shot to see the fans waving distracting signs, foam noodles, streamers, or other props.
There are several patents that are directed toward various basketball practice and training devices that are positioned in front of the goal to present a physical obstacle to a player approaching and making a shot. Most of these types of devices utilize a frame or carriage with movable members or a lifelike dummy the form of a simulated defensive opponent with articulated limbs that simulate the outstretched arms of a defensive opponent attempting to block a shot.
Piggotte, U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,749 discloses a motorized basketball training aid which includes a life-sized figure of a defensive opponent, and a plurality of rotatably driven arms encased in a cushioning material that project radially outward from a central hub, and rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction similar to a windmill to simulate movements of a defensive opponent.
Curtis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,862 discloses a basketball game practice device which formed from resilient, durable synthetic foam that simulates a defensive basketball player for practicing offensive moves such as shooting. The device can be selectively adjusted to various heights and the arms are manually rotatable in order for an offensive player to sharpen his shooting skills without the necessity of an opponent being present.
Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,185 discloses an athletic training device comprising a base, an upright supported by the base, and a planar training shape simulative of a human athlete, including head, torso, arms and legs, mounted on the upright. The vertical height of the training shape is adjustable, and the arms articulate at the elbows and shoulders so that the position of the arms is adjustable. The training shape will remain at the adjusted height with the arms in a predetermined posture, so that the training device will represent an opponent at the precise posture and position for which the ball handler seeks to develop the countermove.
Bristow, U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,742 discloses a mechanical athletic training device that includes a mobile carriage which is lockable in a stationary position and has an opponent simulator, such as a hockey stick, pivotally connected to the carriage. The pivoting opponent simulator simulates the movements and actions of a defensive or offensive player and forces the athlete to anticipate the movements of the opponent simulator and play through the opponent simulator rather than around it.
Grover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,291 discloses a basketball practice or training apparatus including a floor mount and a vertical standard extending upwardly therefrom. Elongate arm shot obstructions at the top of the standard are removably mounted for changing the configuration of the shot obstruction, such as for practicing jump shots versus free throws. A guarding mechanism is secured to the standard and includes a player-engaging portion in front of the standard and spaced above the floor mount. Preferably, the player-engaging portion is selectively movable transversely of the standard to adjust its position in front of the standard so as to allow an operator to manipulate the guarding mechanism for keeping the player-engaging portion close to the player even if they change their position relative to the standard.
Hudock, U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,951 discloses a sports training device, which is a simulated human figure supported by a stand and has a trigger device in the form of a flexible mat disposed on the ground or floor in front of the figure. The figure has at least one movable limb; a fluid-containing actuating system connected to the movable limb, and the trigger device is connected to the fluid-containing actuating system for activating the fluid-containing actuating system. The training device provides a distractive movement to acclimate the sports player to distractions.
Jenney, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,985 discloses a portable basketball training aid to improve the player's shooting accuracy, which is placed on a floor in the vicinity of an elevated basketball hoop and board to improve the player's concentration and shooting accuracy while being distracted by vision restrictors which simulate realistic game conditions. The device includes a plurality of height extendible thin flexible supports extending upward from the top of a rigid support member. The vision restrictors are attached to the free end of the flexible support and the supports are sufficiently flexible so as to undergo bending deflection responsive to minimal air movement, thus simulating the distractive efforts of an opponent's, waving, hands-in-your-face, guarding technique. The vision restrictors are in the form of a hand, glove, oval, diamond or rectangle within predetermined size and predetermined weight limits so as to not interfere with the flexibility and function of the flexible supports.
Hefflin, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,161 discloses a basketball training apparatus for improving shooting skills and accuracy that is adapted for use with a basketball rim placed above a playing surface, and comprises a base on the playing surface beneath the basketball rim, a plurality of arms extending in radial directions from the base, a plurality of shooting markers spaced apart along the length of each arm, and vision markers attached to the basketball rim. Each vision marker is radially aligned with a corresponding one of the arms. With this arrangement, a user, when standing on one of the shooting markers and facing the basketball rim, is provided with visual shooting assistance as a result of the arm being radially aligned with one of the vision markers located on a region of the basketball rim that is nearest the user.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe devices that are mounted on a basketball backboard and have movable members that create a visual distraction simulating game condition distractions for training players to increase their concentration, focus, skill and accuracy in goal shooting.